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PubMed2005

Impaired respiratory and skeletal muscle strength in patients prior to hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The primary aim was to determine if respiratory and skeletal muscle strength and submaximal exercise capacity were reduced in subjects prior to sibling- or unrelated-donor hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Tufts-New England Medical Center, a tertiary referral center in Boston, MA. PATIENTS: All patients (n = 56) undergoing either sibling- or unrelated-donor HSCT from January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2002. MEASUREMENTS: Demographic data, chemotherapy burden, pulmonary function tests (PFTs), maximal inspiratory muscle strength (PImax), maximal expiratory muscle strength (PEmax), dominant hand grip strength (GS), 6-min walk test (6MWT), and survival as of May 21, 2004. RESULTS: PImax was reduced to < 80% predicted in 42% of subjects and to < 60% predicted in 18% of subjects. PEmax was reduced to < 80% predicted in 89% of subjects and to < 60% of predicted in 80% of subjects. A significant correlation was observed between PImax and PEmax (r = 0.65, p < 0.0001). GS was reduced to < 80% predicted in 39% of subjects and < 60% predicted in 15% of subjects. The 6MWT was reduced to < 80% predicted in 58% of subjects and to < 60% predicted in 9.6% of subjects. Diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (Dlco) was the only PFT that was significantly correlated with 6MWT distance (r = 0.44, p = 0.015). The mean calculated load of chemotherapy was 14.8 +/- 16.5 U (+/- SD). The mean time elapsed from date of hematologic diagnosis to date of HSCT was 874 +/- 1,109 days. The median survival of the cohort was 374 days (95% confidence interval, 177 to 665 days). Respiratory or skeletal muscle strength, 6MWT distance, or calculated burden of chemotherapy did not predict survival. CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory and skeletal muscle strength and submaximal exercise capacity are reduced in a significant percentage of patients prior to undergoing HSCT. These observations may help explain musculoskeletal weakness that has been reported in the posttransplant period.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Physical fitness and job performance of firefighters.

Accurate correlations between a wide range of physical fitness measures and occupational demands are needed in order to identify specific fitness tests and training needs for firefighters. Twenty professional firefighters performed numerous fitness and job-related performance tests. Pearson product moment correlations were performed to identify the relationship between fitness components and job performance. Significant correlations (p <0.05) with job performance were identified for total fitness (r = -0.62), bench press strength (r = -0.66), hand grip strength (r = -0.71), bent-over row endurance (r = -0.61), bench press endurance (r = -0.73), shoulder press endurance (r = -0.71), bicep endurance (r = -0.69), squat endurance (r = -0.47), and 400-m sprint time (r = 0.79). It is apparent that firefighting taxes virtually all aspects of physical fitness. These data can help the exercise specialist choose appropriate tests and prescribe specific fitness programs for firefighters. Traditional firefighter exercise programs focusing mainly on cardiovascular fitness should be replaced with physical conditioning programs that address all components of fitness.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Isometric rowing strength of experienced and inexperienced oarsmen.

The significance of isometric muscle strength for rowing performance was studied. The questions investigated were: A) Is the isometric rowing strength (IRS) of oarsmen which is two to three times the dynamic force applied on the oar at maximal power rowing, a ratio which is equivalent to the maximal efficiency of Hill's force/velocity relationship? B) Is IRS higher among successful oarsmen that among those less so? C) Is isometric strength of individual muscle groups correlated to IRS? From measurments on 40 oarsmen the results showed: a) IRS among the most successful oarsmen was 2.6 times the dynamic force indicated in literature; b) IRS was 21 kp higher in the 7 international competitive oarsmen than in 22 national oarsmen, and 42 kp higher than IRS of 11 club oarsmen; and c) of eight other strength determinations only hand grip strength was correlated to IRS. It is suggested that IRS, but not isometric strength of individual muscle groups limits rowing performance.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Higher grip strength increases the risk of incident radiographic osteoarthritis in proximal hand joints.

Quadriceps strength may protect against knee osteoarthritis (OA), but muscle activity is a major determinant of forces at the hand joints. Gripping objects is a common task during which high muscular forces are sustained, particularly at the proximal hand joints (metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints and thumb base). The association between maximal grip strength and incident OA at different hand joints was examined in a longitudinal study of radiographic hand OA. Subjects with higher maximal grip strength were at increased risk for development of OA in the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints, MCP and thumb base joints in men; and in the MCP in women. No association was found between maximal grip strength and incident distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints OA in men or women. The conclusion is that increased grip strength, which is the major force of loading across proximal hand joints, increases the risk of OA in those joints.

Female↗
PubMed2005

A device for assessment of hand and wrist coronal plane strength.

Diagnostic and rehabilitative assessments of hand function commonly omit measurement of twisting strength even though many activities of daily living require turning handles, lids, and objects of many sizes. A simple device to quantify twisting strength was designed and constructed to establish normative data and test hypotheses about hand function. The instrument is easy to use and includes an electronic torsional load cell and disks of several sizes. Tests were conducted on the dominant and nondominant hands of 64 normal subjects and 13 arthritic patients with arthritis of the thumb carpometacarpal joint. Hands were tested with disks ranging in diameter from 2.5 to 12.5 cm. A three-way repeated measures analysis showed that gender (p < 0.001), handedness (p < 0.001), and disk size (p < 0.001) had significant effects. There was no difference between radial and ulnar deviation strengths (p = 0.365). The arthritic group had significantly reduced strength (p < 0.02). Nine subjects were tested twice, with 1 day between tests: no differences occurred between the first and second testing (p = 0.930). The ability to distinguish the test groups with reproducible results proves that the device fulfills all basic requirements; continued testing and development are warranted.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Inspiratory muscle endurance in patients with chronic heart failure.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the significance of changes in respiratory muscle endurance in relation to respiratory and limb muscle strength in patients with mild to moderate chronic heart failure using a threshold loading technique. SUBJECTS: 20 patients with chronic heart failure (17 male) aged 63.8 (SD 7.4) years and 10 healthy men aged 63.1 (5.6) years. Heart failure severity was New York Heart Association (NYHA) grade II (n = 11) and NYHA grade III/IV (n = 9). METHODS: Respiratory muscle strength was measured from mouth pressures during maximum inspiratory effort (MIP) at functional residual capacity (FRC) and limb muscle strength was measured using a hand grip dynamometer. Inspiratory muscle endurance was measured using a threshold loading technique. The total endurance duration, the maximum threshold pressure achieved (P-Max), and the inspiratory load (% ratio of P-Max/MIP) were recorded in all subjects. RESULTS: Inspiratory muscles were weaker in patients with heart failure than in the controls [MIP 53.6 (16.5) v 70.9 (20.2) cm H2O, P < 0.05]. Hand grip strength was similar in both subject groups [31.6 (SD) v 36.1 (15.9) dynes]. Total endurance duration was significantly reduced in the patient group [494 (223) v 996 (267) s, P < 0.01], as was the maximal threshold pressure achieved [P-Max 18.5 (6.4) v 30.7 (6.6) cm H2O, P < 0.01]. When expressed as a percentage of MIP, P-Max was also lower in the patients [35.2 (11.8) v 44.8 (11.4)%, P < 0.05]. There was no significant correlation between any measure of endurance and limb muscle strength. CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory muscle endurance is reduced in patients with chronic heart failure. These changes probably reflect a generalised skeletal myopathy and provide further evidence of respiratory muscle dysfunction in patients with this disease. Respiratory muscle endurance needs now to be related to symptoms and the effects of treatment and respiratory muscle training should also be explored.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1980

The action of aspirin on plasma kininogen and other plasma proteins in rheumatoid patients: relationship to disease activity.

1. When six female seropositive rheumatoid patients were given placebo therapy for 48 h, their plasma kininogen level, 9.2 +/- 0.7 microgram bradykinin equivalents (bk eq) per ml, was found to be 59% greater than that of a group of eight healthy female volunteers (5.8 +/- 0.5 microgram/ml). 2. When the rheumatoid patients received aspirin therapy for 1 week, their mean plasma kininogen concentration fell by 31% to 6.3 +/- 0.8 microgram Bk eq/ml. This was accompanied by a 20.4% fall in mean plasma alpha 2-globulin level. Haematocrit and total plasma protein were not significantly altered (P > 0.05). 3. The fall in kininogen was very rapid, the main reduction occurring within the first hour. 4. Aspirin therapy greatly reduced the pain assessments but had no effect on plasma concentrations of IgG, IgA, IgM, complement component C3, nor on ESR, haemoglobin, leucocyte count, nor ring size. Left hand grip strength was increased while right hand grip strength was unchanged. 5. The action of aspirin on plasma kininogen and alpha 2-globulin was similar to that of indomethacin. Plasma kininogen has been considered to be an acute phase reactant. The possible diagnostic value of plasma kininogen estimation is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

A comparison of the strength of knots tied by hand and at laparoscopy.

BACKGROUND: The strength of knots tied at laparoscopy was compared with that of hand-tied knots. STUDY DESIGN: The force needed to undo or break eight types of knots that were tied in fresh postmortem human stomachs was measured. The knotting performance of nylon, polyglactin 910, braided silk, polytetrafluoroethylene, braided polyester fiber, braided polyester suture, polyamide 66, and polydiaxone was also compared. RESULTS: Measurements of knot strength of two to six half hitches (hand tied) showed that four half hitches were necessary to tie a secure nonslipping knot with most monofilament threads (nylon, polytetrafluoroethylene, braided polyester suture, and polyamide 66), while three half hitches were adequate to secure a knot when polyglactin 910, braided polyester fiber, silk, and polydiaxone were used. Additional throws did not increase knot strength once the knot no longer slipped (p = NS). Some commonly tied knots, three half hitches and surgical knots at laparoscopy were weaker than the same hand-tied knots (p < 0.05) but an additional throw increased knot security (p < 0.01). Differences between laparoscopic and hand-tied knot strengths were greater for monofilament than multifilament threads. There was a wider distribution of strengths for laparoscopically tied than hand-tied knots. Four half hitches were the most secure configuration for laparoscopically tied knots and were significantly stronger than three half hitches and surgical knots (p < 0.01). The extracorporeally tied slipknot (Roeder loop) was significantly less secure than four half hitches (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that laparoscopically formed knots may be weaker than those tied by hand and shows that improvements in knot strength at laparoscopy can be achieved by choice of optimal knot configuration for different suture materials.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Simultaneous bilateral testing: validation of a new protocol to detect insincere effort during grip and pinch strength testing.

The detection of feigned weakness in hand grip strength assessment is difficult. The authors review several proposed methods and their weaknesses. A comparison of unilateral testing and simultaneous bilateral testing with the Jamar dynamometer and the Baseline pinch gauge is demonstrated as a solution. An experiment involved 100 asymptomatic subjects who were tested twice, once under instructions to give a full effort and once under instructions to feign weakness. Seven statistical criteria of noncompliance were chosen. Defining noncompliance as failing two or more of the seven criteria, 99% of the instructed noncompliant subjects were correctly classified as noncompliant. No subjects were incorrectly classified as noncompliant during instructed compliant testing. Twelve subjects failed on a single criterion. On retesting, all but one were correctly classified. One subject in the instructed noncompliant group passed all criteria. Accuracy was 99.5%, including retesting of the 12 "gray-zone" subjects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Tongue strength and endurance in different aged individuals.

BACKGROUND: It is generally accepted that age-related changes occur in voluntary muscle. Studies of hand grip strength and aging demonstrate a decrease in strength with age; however, there are little data regarding tongue function. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of increased age to tongue strength and endurance. METHODS: A pressure transducer, the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument, was used to measure maximal strength and endurance of both the hand and tongue. Ninety-nine healthy volunteers from the oral physiology component of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging were divided into four age groups, ranging from 21 to 96 years of age. A multivariate analysis of variance was used to determine differences in strength and endurance between age groups and genders. Regression analysis was done to determine the relationship of strength and endurance with age. RESULTS: Gender analysis indicated that both tongue and hand strength were greater in males; however, tongue and hand endurance demonstrated no gender differences. The strength in both the tongue and hand decreased with age. Individuals over the age of 79 years showed statistically decreased tongue strength, and individuals over the age of 59 years showed statistically decreased hand strength. There was no significant change in the tongue and hand endurance with age. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that tongue function is gender- and age-dependent and follows the same trends as hand function. Tongue strength is decreased in older individuals and females, while tongue endurance is gender- and age-independent.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

The effects of cold immersion and hand protection on grip strength.

The maximal voluntary grip strength (MVGS) of male volunteers was examined following a series of five intermittent 2 min cold water (5 degrees C) immersions of the unprotected hand or forearm. MVGS changes due to wearing a protective glove were also investigated. The surface electrical activity over the hand flexor muscles was recorded, as was the skin temperature of the hand and forearm. MVGS decreased significantly (p less than 0.01) following hand immersions (16%) and forearm immersion (13%). The majority of these reductions occurred during the first 2-min period of immersion. The effect of wearing a glove after unprotected hand cooling also produced significant (p less than 0.01) MVGS reductions which averaged 14%. These reductions were in addition to those caused by hand cooling. We conclude that both hand and forearm protection are important for the maintenance of hand-grip strength following cold water immersion.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Hand muscle weakness in long-term vibration exposure.

Hand muscle strength was compared between workers regularly exposed to hand-held vibrating tools (n=81) and a non-exposed control group (n=45). Maximal voluntary strengths of hand grip, thumb pinch, thumb palmar abduction and index and little finger abduction were measured. The exposed workers had significantly weaker extrinsic (7%, P<0.01) and intrinsic (19%, P<0.0001) muscles than the controls. Reduced vibration perception was noted in nine vibration-exposed workers who presented with symptoms of hand muscle weakness (P<0.01). Cold intolerance following vibration exposure was found to precede sensorineural and vasospastic symptoms. We therefore postulate that cold intolerance may be a valuable marker for early detection of the adverse effects of vibration. This study emphasizes the need for tests of intrinsic muscle strength in order to evaluate the impairment of hand function observed in vibration-exposed workers.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Male facial appearance signals physical strength to women.

Previous studies showed that male faces with extreme features that are likely to be associated with testosterone (T) are perceived as dominant and masculine. Women were reported to prefer masculinized male faces, as they may consider T markers to be an "honest" indication of good health. However, it is also likely that female preferences for certain male faces arise from the fact that dominant- and masculine-looking males are signaling characteristics which may be beneficial in intrasexual conflict, and thereby also indicate potential achievers of high status, an important factor in female mate selection. Although numerous studies were built on this assumption, nothing is known about the relationship between perceived facial dominance and physical strength in men. We measured hand-grip strength, as a measure of overall physical strength, in a sample of 32 male students, and recorded age, body weight, and height. Seventy-nine women rated facial images of these men for dominance, masculinity, and attractiveness. After controlling for age and body weight, hand-grip strength was found to correlate significantly positively with all three measures. The present data thus support the supposition that a male's physical strength is also signaled via facial characteristics of dominance and masculinity, which are considered attractive by women.

Adolescent↗